Chennai: After contesting the Assembly polls together, the Vijayakant-led DMDK on Friday decided to contest the local body elections on its own, virtually snapping its ties with the AIADMK.

DMDK founder Vijayakant announced nominees for nine corporations where AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa had already fielded candidates for the polls, scheduled on October 17 and 19.

With DMDK announcing its candidates today, a triangular contest is on the cards. DMK had also announced its candidates for seven corporations.

DMDK, the main Opposition party in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, has fielded party`s trade union leader K Velmurugan for Chennai corporation, pitting him against DMK`s M Subramanian (present Mayor) and S Duraisamy of AIADMK who had lost against DMK leader MK Stalin in the April 13 polls.

Vijayakant also announced candidates for the Corporations of Madurai, Coimbatore, Salem, Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Vellore, Erode and Tirupur.

He also named three women as Mayoral candidates out of the total nine announced today.

Jayalalithaa had last week announced her party`s candidates for all the Corporations and many municipalities, prompting another ally CPI (M) to express objection.

The AIADMK had formed a rainbow coalition for the April 13 polls comprising DMDK and two Left parties besides other small parties and handed down a heavy defeat to the DMK.

Nine city corporations will go to the polls in the first phase along with others. This does not include Tiruchirappalli corporation as a court case relating to election for it is pending.